Ultrasound Assisted Hybrid Technologies for Extraction of Bioactive Compounds

Abstract

The sustainable and efficient extraction of bioactive compounds from natural resources offers a promising alternative to synthetic additives and formulations. These compounds including polyphenols, flavonoids and polysaccharides possess antioxidant, antimicrobial and many therapeutic effects rendering them highly demandable by various industries. Conventional extraction methods often exhibit drawbacks such as high energy consumption, excessive solvent usage, prolonged processing times, low extraction yields, and negative environmental impacts. To address these limitations, innovative extraction technologies have emerged, providing more sustainable and efficient solutions. Ultrasound is a promising technology used for extraction of these beneficial compounds with enhanced yield and quality. It can assist various other extraction technologies including microwave assisted extraction, ohmic heating, enzyme extraction, subcritical water extraction and supercritical fluid extraction to obtain high quality extracts. The cavitation and the resulted effects of ultrasound facilitated the cell wall rupture enhancing the mass transfer making the cell structure more accessible by the other extraction technologies for the efficient extraction. This synergistic approach of ultrasound and other mentioned extraction technologies results in increased extraction yields and improved product quality by reducing extraction time, minimizing solvent consumption, and utilizing moderate energy inputs.